


The Seventh Stage of Grief is Blame

by sherbertglasses



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bonding, Gen, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Not Shippy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 12:02:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19109263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherbertglasses/pseuds/sherbertglasses
Summary: post Reichenbach: John and Lestrade bond at Sherlock's wake. Anderson gets punched a lot.





	The Seventh Stage of Grief is Blame

John stood in the corner nursing two fingers of scotch. The wake was open bar, courtesy of Mycroft, and damned if he wasn't going to take advantage of that. He was about six fingers in when he saw Anderson headed out to the the patio. Suddenly filled with rage, he swiftly followed. John caught him by the shoulder and, when he turned round, punched him square in the jaw. He grabbed Anderson by the collar and slammed him to the ground. "You did this!" John screamed, "You and Donavan! At least she had the good sense not to show her face. Calling him a fake. Not believing his deductions . Calling into question every case he was involved in. You backed him into a corner. You killed him! YOU KILLED HIM! " John punched him again. And again. He didn't know how long it was before Lestrade pulled him off Anderson, but Anderson's face was in a right state when he did.

Some people helped Anderson get up and lead him away. "Should be him in that coffin," John said to Lestrade.

"John, " Lestrade said, "He already blames himself. It's why he came. To atone"

"Bit late for that, " said John.

"Come upstairs and sober up," said Lestrade .

 

A few minutes later John was sitting on the edge of the bed in the guest bedroom and Lestrade had brought him up a coffee. Lestrade sat in a chair opposite him. They were silent for a long while. Then Lestrade said, "When I met Sherlock, he was laying like a homeless person against the wall of a tube station. He was a junkie at that point. Cocaine, heroin, opiates. Anything he could get his hands on. But he saved a life that day in a tube station. I was chasing a kidnapping suspect and lost him. Then I heard from behind me, 'Your suspect is headed to Sussex ' I asked him why he said that. He replied 'The soil on is shoes is only found there and that train is headed to a British rail station who's schedule has a train headed to Sussex in 30 minutes. His captive, obviously a child no older than ten based on the scratch marks on his arms would be somewhere near a quarry, again, based on the soil. ' I said that there was a slim hope of getting before he moved the girl. He simply said. 'I would get on the next car and hope there's a replacement bus service if I were you.'  
"He was right on all counts, so I went back to the tube station, where he still was. I told him he saved a little girl's life and that I'd pay for his rehabilitation if he came to consult for us. So he did. And I think, slowly, he realized he was more addicted to saving lives."

John listened, heartsick for Sherlock

After a beat Lestrade said, "I don't think he ever lied to us about a case. I don't believe it was a trick he did. And I certainly don't think this was suicide."

"But I saw him jump," said John.

"I think someone forced him. Threatened him."

"He didn't react to threats."

"To himself, maybe not," Lestrade continued, "But to you? He would have done absolutely anything to protect you"

"You think he sacrificed himself to save me?" said John in disbelief.

"It's a working theory" he said. "Now have a lie down and sleep it off"

"Thanks, Greg," said John quietly. Lestrade left the room and John fell asleep as tears flowed silently down his cheeks.


End file.
